Trap, Neuter, Return

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The ASPCA endorses Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) as the only proven humane and effective method to manage feral cat colonies. We work closely with Neighborhood Cats, one of the pioneer TNR groups in New York City, and we are a member of the NYC Feral Cat Council. We offer spay/neuter surgery and rabies vaccinations on our mobile clinic and partner with trained colony caretakers in the five boroughs of New York City. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of TNR and how to implement a project in your area please also consult Neighborhood Cats and Alley Cat Allies.

TNR Flyers

Help stop feral cats from overbreeding!  Download a Trap-Neuter-Return flyer for your neighbors.
 - English (pdf)
 - Spanish (pdf)

Where can I learn about Trap-Neuter-Return?

Workshops on How to Manage a Feral Cat Colony, taught by Neighborhood Cats, are available online and at the ASPCA on select Saturdays. A small donation is requested to cover the cost of materials. Please RSVP to Neighborhood Cats at 212-662-5761 or headcat@neighborhoodcats.org. 

Where can I rent a trap?

The ASPCA rents traps for TNR purposes to people who have taken the Neighborhood Cats workshop. Traps must be picked up and returned at the ASPCA, located at 424 East 92nd Street in Manhattan, by appointment only. Please contact the Call Center at (212) 876-7700 x4319 for an appointment to pick up or return a trap.

You may keep the traps for 7 days. A $50 deposit, payable in cash or check only, is required per trap. The deposit is fully refunded upon return of the trap in its original condition.

Where can I get my ferals spayed/neutered?

The ASPCA operates a mobile spay/neuter clinic and you can spay and neuter your feral cats by appointment on a private Rescue Day. We have regular Rescue Days in all 5 boroughs. Please call (877)SPAY-NYC and hit the TNR option to learn more. 

Be sure you meet the requirements below first!

What are the requirements for using the mobile clinic?

1. Take the Neighborhood Cats workshop on How to Manage a Feral Cat Colony
2. Provide a warm and dry indoor recovery space. Cats must be trapped 2 days before the surgery appointment and held at this space. They must also be held there for least 3 days afterwards.
3. Download, sign and return the rescue agreement (pdf).

The rescuer agreement can be sent:

by MAIL:
MSNC Client Services
1717 S. Philo Rd, Suite 36
Urbana, IL 61802

OR by email:
clientservices@aspca.org

OR by fax:
217-337-9810

Can the mobile clinic come to my colony?

1. Yes, if you meet all the above requirements AND
2. Are able to trap 15 or more cats AND
3. Can arrange parking for the clinic, which is 37’ long. Parking can usually be arranged through parking permits obtained at your local police precinct or by reserving at least 5 car-length parking spots on a street. Please also ensure that the street is wide enough to accommodate the clinic for turning and parking purposes. The clinic arrives at 8am and all cats should be on-site and ready by then.

I don't have time to take the TNR seminar. Can you waive that requirement?

We require the seminar to ensure that the cats are handled in a manner that is safe for them and for you. The seminar is available online and there will soon be classes available in Queens and Brooklyn. Unless you have prior extensive experience with trapping, you must take the seminar in order to borrow traps and use the mobile clinic.

In these seminars, you’ll learn how to care for feral colonies in your neighborhood, including the resources available to assist you in TNR. Neighborhood Cats covers all steps in setting up a managed colony, including community relations, food and shelter arrangements, securing a recovery space, safely handling feral cats, and trapping (with an emphasis on conducting a mass trapping). Neighborhood Cats even offers an extensive manual that you can take home after the seminar.

What services are available on the mobile clinic for ferals?

We will spay/neuter, rabies vaccinate and ear-tip each feral at no cost. If there are any friendly adoptable cats in the colony and they already have homes, you may purchase additional services at a nominal cost. These services and costs are detailed in our rescue agreement (pdf).

We do not recommend the FeLV/FIV test or the FVRCP vaccine for ferals that are being returned to their outdoor colony.

My colony has friendly cats. Can I place them up for adoption?

If the kittens are healthy, friendly and social, you may contact our Intake department at benl@aspca.org to have the kittens evaluated for intake into our shelter. All animals must pass a temperament test. Cats must be well socialized to humans and must be easily stroked, held and picked up. Cats that have not received the FVRCP vaccination will be vaccinated that day and then returned to you for a 2-week wait until the inoculations take hold. This is very important and it is for the protection of the owned cats, which may be exposed to illness once in the shelter.

Why can’t the ASPCA take in feral cats and socialize them?

Socializing feral cats takes an extreme amount of patience, time and energy and there is no guarantee that the cat will become tame. Unfortunately with the numerous friendly and adoptable animals that all rescuers and shelters, including the ASPCA, already have, resources to socialize feral animals are scarce. Urban Cat League is a great resource for socializing feral kittens, if you have the time and energy to dedicate to the task.

I am or know of a veterinarian who'd like to start offering services for feral cats. What resources are available?

The ASPCA has sterilized thousands of feral cats on our Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics. We have written a protocol for the sterilization of feral cats (pdf) based on the work we do every day, with the input of the community-based groups Neighborhood Cats and Slope Street Cats. Whether you are a rescuer, colony caretaker, veterinary technician, veterinarian or any other friend of ferals, we've prepared a guide (pdf) to aid you in helping spay and neuter feral cats. Help us make local veterinarians feral-friendly, and bring a copy to your favorite veterinarian today. Thanks so much! 

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